Shower head

Abstract: A shower head includes an outer casing (1) that is shaped so as to form a tubular portion (1a) which contains an elongated insert (2) which is associated with a cylindrical insert (3) that is contained in a head (1b) of the casing in order to be locked by means of a plug (4) provided with at least one outlet port (4b) for the exit of the water, characterized in that a ring (6) is located peripherally with respect to the cylindrical insert (3), is kept in position by the plug (4), and is suitable to abut against a raised portion (2c) which is provided in the end portion of the elongated insert in order to lock it.

Description: The present invention relates to a shower head. It is known that there are shower heads which have an outer casing whose shape includes a cylindrical portion which acts as a handle, contains an elongated insert that has, at one end, a threaded portion for connection to a water supply duct, and is connected, at its other end, to a cylindrical insert which is contained in a tip portion of the casing and is locked therein by a plug which has at least one opening for the exit of the water conveyed by the shower head. Many shower heads also include, inside the cylindrical insert, a device that allows to switch from a central jet to a peripheral jet. The outer casing is made of a material which has highlevel aesthetic characteristics but is not suitable for withstanding mechanical stresses or temperature changes. Shower heads included in the prior art have the drawback that they allow albeit partial contact of the water, conveyed by the inserts located inside said shower heads, with the outer casing: accordingly, the alternating presence of hot and cold water that occurs during the normal operation of the shower head causes temperature variations in said outer casing that are sufficient to cause cracks and breakage. In some types of shower head there is also another drawback which arises from the fact that the elongated insert is locked inside the tubular portion of the outer casing, as required in order to contrast the thrusts produced by water pressure, by means of a screw which passes through said outer casing: this fact, in addition to being aesthetically unpleasant, introduces a discontinuity in the surface of the casing that allows dirt to accumulate and also produces in said casing local tensions that the material of said casing is unable to withstand without being negatively affected. A shower head having features as comprised in the preamble of claim 1, is known from WO-A-90/08598. The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a shower head in which the outer casing is fully protected both in aesthetic terms and in terms of protection against any kind of mechanical or thermal stress. This aim is achieved by a shower head, according o the invention, characterized by the combination of features set forth in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the shower head according to the invention are defined in the dependent claims. Further characteristics and advantages will become apparent from the description of a shower head, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a cross-section view of the shower head according to the invention; figure 2 is an exploded view thereof. With reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates the outer casing of the shower head, which is made, as mentioned above, of a material that is aesthetically valid but cannot withstand mechanical stresses and temperature changes, and comprises a tubular portion 1a and a head 1b which are interconnected. The elongated insert 2 is present inside the portion 1a and has, at its end that protrudes from the casing, the threaded portion 2a for connection to a water supply duct; at its other end, said insert is associated with the cylindrical insert 3 which is accommodated in the head 1b by inserting the final part of its end portion 2b in the hole 3a provided on the lateral surface of said cylindrical insert, as explained hereinafter. The cylindrical insert 3, which will be described in detail hereinafter, is held in position inside the head 1b by means of the plug 4 which is associated with said head by means of the thread 4a and internally comprises a central water outlet port 4b formed in the extension 4c and peripheral outlets such as 4d; an aerator 5 is associated with the plug 4 at the central outlet by means of a thread 5a. An important characteristic of the invention is constituted by the ring 6, which is located in the peripheral region of the cylindrical insert 3 and is held in position by the plug 4 with the interposition of the gasket 7; said ring is provided with the slot 6a, which is shaped complementarily to the end portion 2b of the elongated insert 2 and is adapted to abut against the circumferential raised portion 2c provided close to the end of the portion 2b. This arrangement locks the elongated insert 2 with respect to the cylindrical insert 3 with the interposition of the gasket 8, which ensures the stability of the coupling and ensures optimum hygienic conditions. The fact that the outer casing is not affected at all allows to fully protect it both aesthetically and in terms of mechanical strength and resistance. The cylindrical insert 3 is now described in detail; it internally comprises the conventional device that allows to switch from a central jet to a peripheral jet and vice versa, which includes the rod 9 with a shutter 9a controlled by the pushbutton 10 in abutment against the spring 11. In the position shown in the figure, the water that reaches the cylindrical insert 3 from the elongated insert 2 flows directly to the outlet 4b of the plug 4 to produce the central jet; by actuating the button 10, the shutter 9a is moved so that it closes said outlet, and therefore the water enters the openings 12 and reaches outlets such as 13 that allow access to the outlets, such as 4d, for the peripheral jet. The main characteristic of the described cylindrical insert 3 consists of the fact that since its walls are watertight it prevents contact of the water with the outer casing. Said insert 3 in fact comprises the uninterrupted lateral surface 3b, which has the single inlet 3a controlled by the gasket 8; the upper end face, constituted by the uninterrupted disk 3c which is associated with the wall 3b in the presence of a sealing gasket 16 and only has the hole 3d, controlled by the gasket 14, for the passage of the rod 9; and a port 3e, at the lower end face, for accommodating the extension 4c of the plug 4, the water that produces the central jet passing through said port 3e, which is controlled by the gasket 15 in contact with the surface 4e of the plug 4; the water that forms the peripheral jet instead passes through the outlets 13 and cannot make contact with the outer casing because of the above mentioned gasket 7. In practice, the water conveyance circuit which is formed inside the shower head according to the invention and is constituted by the elongated insert 2, by the cylindrical insert 3, and by the plug 4, prevents any contact of said water with the casing. It should be specified that the provision of an end face for the cylindrical insert that is shaped like the disk 3c is necessary in the described case of a shower head that comprises the device for switching from a central jet to a peripheral jet owing to constructive reasons linked to the presence of the ports 12: if this switching device is not provided, said end face might be formed monolithically with the side wall 3b. In the practical execution of the invention, all the details' may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements: thus, for example, the circumferential raised portion 2c may be replaced with a tooth which is adapted to make contact with a shallower axially arranged ring that does not have a notch such as 6a. The materials employed, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may furthermore be any according to the requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Shower head, comprising an outer casing (1) that is shaped so as to form a tubular portion (1a) which contains an elongated insert (2) provided with a threaded portion (2a) at its end that protrudes from the casing and is associated, at its other end, with a cylindrical insert (3) that is contained in a head (1b) of the casing which is located at the end of the tubular portion (1a) in order to be locked thereat by means of a plug (4) provided with at least one outlet port (4b) for the exit of the water conveyed by the shower head, the cylindrical insert (3) having, at its lateral surface, a water inlet port (3a) which is sealingly connected to the end portion (2b) of the elongated insert (2) and also has, at one end face, at least one water outlet port (3e) which is sealingly connected to the at least one outlet port (4b) that is provided in the plug (4), characterized in that said cylindrical insert (3) is cup-shaped having a lateral watertight wall (3b) closed at an end thereof, that lies opposite to the one provided with said at least one water outlet port (3e), by an end face shaped like a disk (3c) which is associated with the lateral wall (3b) with interposed a sealing gasket (16), and in that said disk-shaped end face (3c), the sealing gasket (16) and the gaskets (8, 15) which seal said connections of said ports (3a,3e,4b) prevent any contact of the water with the outer casing (1). Shower head according to claim 1, comprising, inside the cylindrical insert (3), a device (9,10,11) for switching from a central jet to a peripheral jet, said disk-shaped end face (3c) having a central hole (3d) with a sealing gasket (14) for the passage of a rod (9) that actuates said switching device. Shower head according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises a ring (6) which is located peripherally with respect to said cylindrical insert (3), is kept in position by said plug (4), and is adapted to abut against a raised portion (2c) which is provided in the end portion (2b) of the elongated insert (2) in order to lock it with respect to the cylindrical insert (3). Shower head according to claim 3, characterized in that the ring (6) is provided with a slot (6a) which is shaped complementarily with respect to the end portion (2b) of the elongated insert (2) and is adapted to abut against said circumferential raised portion (2c) formed on said end portion (2b). Shower head according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by a gasket (7) that is interposed between the ring (6) and the plug (4) that keeps in position said ring (6).

Inventors: BOSIO ORLANDO, BOSIO, ORLANDO
Applicants: AMFAG SPA, AMFAG S.P.A.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B05B1
IPC codes: B05B15, B05B1